Cowra Voices

Cowra Voices storytelling app was launched on August 3, 2019 as part of the 75th anniversary commemorations of the Cowra Breakout.

Cowra Voices is based in the Central West region of NSW, Australia, and began in February, 2018. This project’s main aim was to link people and places with a geo-locative app – much like a heritage trail app – exploring Cowra’s unique story of civic peace and reconciliation.

Cowra Voices other aims included facilitating a deeper, more intimate engagement with Cowra’s history through audio/multimedia storytelling. Cowra is the home of the famous Cowra Breakout by Japanese prisoners of war, one of the largest attempts at escaping prison during WWII.

Cowra Voices app includes stories of the Wiradjuri elders as well as personal histories of people buried at Cowra Japanese War Cemetery, and local narratives of grassroots peace building by members of the local Cowra community.

Cowra Voices also involved students from Tokai University, Sapporo Campus who contributed to the design of the app. Students visited Cowra in February, 2018 to learn about Cowra’s unique history, immerse themselves in the local community and culture.